Woman charged in fatal texting-while-driving crash

The Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office has filed charges against a woman who officials said was texting while driving in Gambrills in March, which caused a crash that killed a man.

The case brings to light the growing problem that distracted driving has become.

Elizabeth Meyers, 20, of Severn, was arrested last week and charged with negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, criminal negligent manslaughter, reckless driving, negligent driving, failure to yield the right of way and text messaging while driving.

Investigators said Meyers was trying to cross Route 3 at Carver Road when she hit a motorcycle driven by Jonathan Roberts, 30, of Aylett, Va. Roberts was taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center, where he died.

The State's Attorney's Office said a witness told police he saw Meyers texting on a cellphone as she pulled into the roadway and that cellphone records corroborated that statement.

"She was obviously distracted and didn't see an approaching motorcyclist. He certainly had the right of way," said police Chief Kevin Davis.

Case shows distracted driving's effects

AAA Mid-Atlantic officials, who have been vocal advocates of stronger distracted driving laws and vehicular manslaughter laws, commended the charges.

"We are pleased to see that Anne Arundel County prosecutors are using all of the judicial weight afforded to them, under the law, when prosecuting drivers that recklessly and through irresponsible actions cause the death of another driver or pedestrian," said AA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Ragina Averella.

Motor Vehicle Administration records show that distracted driving is to blame for half of the fatal accidents in Maryland.

"This is a 20-year-old girl who I'm certain didn't set out to kill someone that day, but that's what happened, and the reality is there's no phone call so important, there's no message that's so urgent that it needs to be sent," Averella said.

She said she's hopeful Meyers' case will drive home the point that distracted driving is more than a minor traffic offense.

"We're happy to see that Anne Arundel County is using all of the legal tools given to them and really pursuing this case in an aggressive manner," Averella said.

Otherwise, public safety advocates fear that drivers will continue to think there's no harm in sneaking a peek at their phones. Police said they are prepared to cite drivers who don't obey Maryland's new ban on handheld cellphone use.

"It's a bad habit that's touched all four corners of our society, and from that we tend to think, 'This can never happen to me,'" Davis said.

There is a special exception in the state law that allows police officers to use their handheld cellphones behind the wheel, but Davis said he has decided to extend the ban on talking or texting while driving to his force for safety reasons.

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